Kazimierz Szafraniec

600th Anniversary of Jasna GóraCollectanea Theologica 48/Fasciculus specialis, 175-191

1978

C ollectanea T heologica 48 (1978) fasc. specialis

600th ANNIVERSARY OF JA SN A GÓRA

The Jasna Góra m onastery in Częstochow a is fam ous prim arily for th e p ictu re of O ui Lady of Częstochow a, a treasu re of Polish religious culture for a t least four centuries. Jasna Góra has becom e a part of th e religious life of the country, and i t is th e heart of th e Catholic Church in Poland w herein O ur Lady ru les w ith love.

As th e approaching 600th ann iversary of Jasna Góra evokes m any questions concerning th e h isto ry of the M onastery, let us try to answ er some of them in ligh t of recen t research, tak ing into account the historical conditions of past periods.

1. Fondation of Jasn a Góra: Conditions and M otives

In 1382, Ladislas O p o l c z y k („Ruski” or ,/theR uthenian"), Du­ke of Opole, founded a M onastery of the O rder of St. Paul the H er­m it on the hill of Stara Częstochow a. A t the p resent site, of Jasna Góra (the nam e a lready appeared in docum ents for the first tim e in 13881) there w as a village called Stara Częstochow a w ith a w ooden parish church dedicated to th e Blessed Virgin M ary. To the N orth lay th e v illage of Częstochówka, th e p resent W ieluń m arket square and its environs. On the W arta River — near th e v icin ity of the p resen t church of St. Sigism und — w as a chapel affiliated w ith the parish church in Stara Częstochow a; and around th is Chapel s tre t­ched the tow n of Częstochow a.2

On Ju n e 22, 1382, in S tara Częstochow a, in th e p resence of Duke Ladislas, C zęstochow a's parish-priest, Father H enryk B i e l of Bleszno resigned from th e parish church, transferring all his righ ts to the prior general of th e O rder of St. Paul, and th e Brothers of the M onastery. And as a sign of his vo lun tary resignation he gave the

KAZIMIERZ SZAFRANIEC OSPE, 2 ARKI

1 Zbiór dokumentów zakonu oo. paulinów w Polsce, z. 1: 1328— 1464 (Collec­tion of docum ents of th e O rder of St. Paul th e H erm it in Poland, no. 1: 1328— 1464), pub lisher J. F i j a ł e k , K raków 1938, no. 29, p. 58— 59 (in fu rther re fe ren ­ces: ZD).

2 S. K r a k o w s k i , Stara Częstochowa. Studia nad genezą, ustrojem i stru­kturą ludnościową i gospodarczą C zęs tochow y (1220— 1655) (Old Częstochow a. Studies of th e developm ent, system s and population and econom ic s truc tu re of C zęstochow a betw een 1220 and 1655), C zęstochow a 1948, p. 24—33.

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church keys to Brother George, the prior of the Pauline m onastery of St. Lawrence (near Buda, Hungary). M oreover, th e parish-priest publicly and explicitly sta ted th a t in connection w ith his resignation nad transfer he had received appropriate com pensation and sa tisfa­ction. It is also know n th a t in re tu rn for his resignation he becam e a canon in Gniezno and Kraków. The resignation and transfer docu­m ents w ere w ritten by Peter th e D uke's Scribe, and adorned w ith eight seals hanging on parchm ent strips.3

On A ugust 9, 1382, in the tow n of Częstochow a, Duke Ladislas’ chancellor N icholas T i c z k o n i s , a W rocław curator, issued tw o docum ents in w hich th e Duke sta tes th e full agreem ent of K rakow 's Bishop John of Radliczyce, ("Radlica") for the construction of a m o­nastery , and the endow m ent of the O rder w ith tw o villages (i.e. Stara Częstochow a and Krowodrza); an iron sm elting w orks w ith a pond and farm adjoining th e m onastery; tithes in m oney, grain, crops, and other rights, freeing th e O rder from certa in duties. In a docum ent issued on Jan u ary 19, 1385 in th e tow n of Częstochow a by C han­cellor Nicholas, the Duke introduced slight changes and added the v illage of Grabow a to th e M onastery 's foundation.4

Sixteen m em bers of the O rder of St. Paul the Herm it from N osztre (M ârianosztra) in H ungary5 arrived in Częstochow a to establish be­fore th e elapse of th e 14th century a new Polish Province® With the m otherhouse and seat of the provincial in Jasna Góra.

W ho in itia ted the establishm ent of the M onastery? In light of the 14th cen tury it appears th a t those responsible for in itia ting th is p ro jec t w ere Duke Ladislas and the Prior G eneral of St. Paul's Order, N icholas III.

The docum ents quoted above m ention only the Duke as its founder. To his Pauline contem poraries he w as know n as ,,our father from Poland", and th e Jasna Góra M onastery w as ,,his Polish C loister".7 A n author m entions th a t Duke Ladislaus was considered "illustrious in life” ;8 for the 16th cen tury R i s i n u s he w as a m an of prudence and generosity .9 Father M ikołaj W i l k o w i e c k o no-

3 ZD no. 12, p. 21—23.4 ZD no. 13 an d 14, p. 23—30, and no. 18, p. 35—38.5 E. K d s b â n , A magyar Pâlosiend tôrténete, vol. 1, B udapest 1937, p. 94.* ZD no. 40 and 41, p. 80— 84.7 ,,Lit e re lad is la i ducis patris n o s tri de polonia super donacione cuiusdam

te rre m onasterio suo d e po lon ia '': w ritten in th e 14th cen tu ry on th e rev erse side of the foundation docum ent of Jasn a G óra of A ugust 9, 1382 (ZD no. 13, s. 24 V. 39—40).

8 Opis przeniesienia obrazu Matki Boskiej Częstochowskiej z Jerozolimy na Jasną Górę (D escription of how th e p ic tu re of O ur Lady of C zęstochow a w as m oved from Jeru sa lem to Jasn a Góra), published by S. S z a f r a n i e c, A rchiw a, B iblioteki i M uzea K ościelne 1(1960) no. 2, p. 201 (in fu rth er references: OP).

9 P. R i s i n i u s , H isto ria pu lchra et stupendis M iraculis relerta Im aginis Mariae, quom et unde in Clarum Montem Czanstochowiae et O lsztyn advenerit, K rakow 1523, p. 16.

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tes tha t he w as "a wise, noble, and generous D uke''.10 O ne hundred years, later, Father Am roży N i e s z p o r k o w i c titled him w ithout hesitancy as ,,a holy m an '',11 and one of the m em bers Of the O rder in the 18th cen tury saw in him a ''v e ry paternal founder".12

Ladislas О p о 1 с z у к w as linked to th e A ngevin dynasty (then ruling Hungary) by particu larly strong bonds: first of all he w as a blood relation of th e royal fam ily of Louis the Great; he w as a m em ber of the K ing's court since 1359 and becam e his favorite p lenipotentiary , for w hich he received large estates. He w as held in high esteem in both Poland and Hungary.

In 1367, the King nam ed him "palatine" of the Kingdom of H ungary and "casellan" of Tem esvar; he also received the estates of N agy Ugrócz, Päszt, Kalacsna, and especially K is-Tapolcsany.

In 1370, the King in g ratitude for the help O p o l c z y k render­ed in w inning the Polish th rone gave him, a w ide belt of border land neighboring on the O pole principality . This W ieluń region, together w ith the castles bu ilt along the Silesian border by King Casimir the G reat of Poland, included Olsztyn, Bobolice, Krzepice, and Brzeźni­ca. From th en on, th is land w as to becom e th e feudal dem esne of the Duke of Opole w ith the right of coinage in W ieluń. In this area w as found the village of Stara Częstochow a and the tow n e f Częstocho­wa.

In exchange for the esta tes in H ungary, King Louis in a docu­m ent issued on O ctober 10, 1372 nam ed the Duke of _Opole the governor of Red Russia. Thus the D uke did no t becom e a soverign ruler, but only a m ore dignified royal official. O polczyk ruled Red Russia for six years. He w as a governor in Poland from December 1377 to Septem ber 1378, although Q ueen Elizabeth w as form ally the Regent. Tow ard th e end of 1378, in lieu of Red Russia, O polczyk re ­ceived from Louis the lands of Dobrzyń and Bydgoszcz.1® He was particu larly generous to th e King's m other, E lizabeth Łokietek.14

R epresenting the church in the agreem ent to erect the M onastery in Stara Częstochow a w as th e Bishop of Kraków, John of Radliczy-

10 Historya o obrazie w Częstochowie Panny M aryey i o cudach rozmaitych te] w ielebnej Tablice (H istory of the p ic tu re of the V irgin M ary in C zęstochow a and its various m iracles), K raków around 1568, p. 12.

11 Odrobiny stołu królewskiego abo historya o cudownym obrazie Naśw. Pan­ny M aryey Częstochowskiej (Remains of the -royal tab le of th e h is to ry of the m iraculous p ic tu re of th e H oly V irgin in C zęstochow a, K raków 1683, p. 36.

12 , .Privilegium a pdis-simo fundato re V lad islao Duce O poliensi": w ritten on th e rev e rse side of -the foundation docum ent -of A ugust 9, 1382 (ZD no. 14, p. 29, V. 22).

18 J. D ą b r o w s k i , Ostatnie lata Ludwika W ielkiego 1370— 1382 (The last years of Louis -the G reat 1370— 1382), K raków 1918, s. 42—44, 290—292, 309—312, 381— 382.

14 J. D ą b r o w s k i , Elżbieta Łokietkówna (Elizabeth Łokietek), p rin ted in.: Rozprawy Akademii Umiejętności. W yd z ia ł historyczno-lilozoiiczny, vol. 57, K ra­ków 1914, p. 324, 328.

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178 KAZIMIERZ SZAFkANIEC OSPE

ce. For several years he functioned as a physician in King Louis' court. A s a favorite of the King he w as presented in 1380 w ith the post of chancellor of the Kingdom of Poland; m oreover he w as m ade both canon and archdeacon of the Cracow -Cathedral. In a docum ent dated February 5, 1382, he w as a lready m entioned as Bishop elect of Kraków and in th a t year he w as consecrated by the archbishop of Gniezno w ith papal confirm ation.15

The O rder of St. Paul the Herm it grew rapidly in the 14th century in H ungary. A report by archbishop of Kalocsa in 1327 on the status of the O rder w as very favorable. There w ere 60 Pauline m onasteries reported, w ith 900 m onks. In each m onastery there w ere no less than 15 persons·, th e num ber fluctuated betw een 20 and 60. In th e m ain cloister of the St. Lawrence (the residence of th e prior general) near th e tow n of Buda, there w ere some 300 m em bers in the community. The entire O rder was headed by the prior general, who in the years 1381— 1393 w as N icholas III.16

It w as his decision as to w hether or not to accept a new foundation for the O rder.17 It w as his du ty to seek the acceptance of the H oly See, and to gain th e benevolence of Dukes and Kings. He also chose th e people for new places. In the resignation docum ent held by Father H enryk Biel, the parish-priest of Częstochowa, it is c learly sta ted th a t in th e prior general's nam e th e keys to th e church w ere given to brother George (or Gregory), the prior of St. Lawrence m onastery .

King Louis of H ungary established m onasteries of the O rder of St. Paul: St. M ary 's in N osztre (M arianosztra, 1352); St. M ary 's in Rem ete (near M ar amaros, 1363); Sts. M ary 's and C atherine 's in Gone (1371); St. M ary 's in M ariavölgy (1377) and the M onastery of St. Paul the Herm it in the tow n of Buda (1382). He also w as the founder of m any other m onasteries. He especially liked and visited the m ona­steries in: M arianosztra, M ariavölgy, Diosgyör and the St. Lawrence m onastery. Through his recom m endation Pope U r b a n V gave approbation to the O rder of St Paul and on M arch 14, 1368 approved the adoption of the Rule of St. A ugustine granted by Pope J o h n XXII on N ovem ber 16, 1328; th ey w ere also indebted to him for the relics of St. Paul the Herm it w hich w ere brought from V enice to Buda in 1381. G rateful for his protection, foundations, and grants

** A. S t r z e l e c k a , Jan z R adiiez ус (Jan of R adliczyce), p rin ted in: Pol­sk i sło w n ik b iograficzny, vol. 10, W rocław —W arszawa,—K raków 1962— 1964, p. 469—472.

16 E. К i s b â n, op. cit., S. 83—85, 104.17 G. G e n g i j e s i n u.s (Gyöngyösi), Incip iunt declarationes constitu tionum

ordinis 1 rat rum herem itarum s. Pauli prim i herem itae (Roma around 1520), rubrica 53; i d e m , Incip it ■directorium singulorum fratrum officialium ordinis s. Pauli prim i herem itae sub regula beati A ugustin i m ilitan tium (Soma around 1520), p. 7—8.

600th ANNIVERSARY OF JASNA GÛRA 179

they in troduced a "special ann iversary"18 for „King Louis, his parents, his wife and daughters on th e day of the m artyrs Profus and H yacinth", (Septem ber 11, the date of his death).

The particu lar close rela tionship betw een th e King and the O rder created a num ber of occasions for Duke Ladislas' personal contacts w ith them . The sparse inform ation of Ladislas you th has led Rev. Leon К a r a to hypothesize th a t the fu ture duke of Opole w as edu­cated in the special school for the m agnats („Collegium Nobilium ") conducted by the Pauline Fathers a t the N osztre M onastery in H un­gary. Years la te r the D uke brought over a group of 16 m onks from this m onastery to Częstochow a and a group of 12 m onks to M ochow near G łogówek.188

The N osztre M onastery (M ârianosztra), the foundation of Louis the G reat in 1352, w as one of the most, d istinguished H ungarian m o­nasteries and w as higly prized for its architecture. The N osztre M o­nastery consisted of tw o buildings inhabited by the Pauline Fa­thers and the palace w here "Collegium N obilium ” for the royal and ducal sons w as located. The endow m ent of the m onastery was sufficient for the m ain tenance of 300 m onks.18b

The particular d idactic regulations preserved in the "D irecto­rium " of Pauline: Fathers has a characteristic chapter entiled „How to teach the sons of kings and dukes” .18c Such a program pointed out the m ajor qualities of the "Collegium N obilium ” educational system. There are th e num erous examples: how to develop physical skill in a young man; how to develop tem perance in eating and drinking as w ell as m oderation and d ign ity of dressing. How to develop moral Christian principles so tha t th ey m ay pervade one's exercise of au ­tho rity and m ilieux. It takes into consideration not only archery, equitation- javelin casting, hunting, bu t also learning foreign langu­ages, especially H ungarian, Italian and Bohemian. It orders key lectures on grammar, rhetoric, dialectics, and exhorts the study of philosophy;

ls G. G f i . n g i j e s i n u s , Incipiunt declarationes, op. cit., rub rica 69.18a L. K a r a , Historie der Kirche und der Stadt Oberglogau und aus der

Geschichte des Klosters und der Parochie W iese Pauliner (circa 1972). The ty p esc rip t has b een p rese rv ed a t K uria D iecezjalna in Opole, p. 12—13. W ith the inform ation about th e group of 16 Pauline Fathers, Ladislas D uke of O pole b rough t oveif; to C zęstochow a th e local Jasn a G óra M onastery trad ition harm oni­zes w ell, being a lived in th e X V II-th cen tu ry w hich has proclaim ed, th a t th e prim ary endow m ent has been sufficient for th e m ain tenance of only 16 Pauline monks: Acta conventus Clari Montis Częstochoviensis, A rchiw um Jasnogórsk ie sygn. 197 p. 1. (continued: AJ).

18b Documenta artis Paulinorum, vol. 2, ed. B. G y é r e s s y , B udapest 1976, p. 99.

18c G. G e n g à j e s i n u s, Incipit directorium, op. cit., fol. 31—33: „Quomor do regum et prm cipum filii sun t in struend i. C apitulum XVI".

12*

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The equestrian seal of Ladislas Duke of O pole on the A ct of Foundation of th e Jasna Góra M onastery from the 9th of A ugust 1382, figures a kn ight standing in stirrups on a galloping horse, hold­ing up the sw ord in his right hand w ith th e face tw ined tow ard a spectator, A dog is portrayed as gaining on the galloping horse.18d

On the basis of th is seal — it is possibile to conjecture tha t La­dislas Duke of O pole liked and excelled in horsem anship and h u n ­ting.

N othing certain , how ever is know n as to w hether Louis per­sonally ordered or w ished a M onastery to be erected in C zęstocho­w a. The inform ation quoted by Długosz in this case is ra ther vague19 and no confirm ation can be found in th e Foundations Do­cum ents of Jasna Góra, or the H oly T rin ity M onastery near G łogó­wek. A part from these two, th e Duke also established a m onastery of the O rder in W ieluń, and in all likelihood the m onastery in W ie­ruszów.

It is w orth em phasizing here, the fac t th a t th e Duke w as very close to th e religious, and w ith in the circles of his im m ediate fam ily. O ne of his brothers, H enry w as a cleric a t th e Em peror's court; and out of four s is te rs th re e w ere Nuns: K unegunda w as a Poor C lare in Old Buda, E lizabeth a Choir N un in Trzebnica, and A nna a Poor C lare in W rocław . O f the D uke's four daughters from his first m arriage, tw o w ere Nuns: A gnes a Poor C lare in S tary Sącz, and Kinga a Poor C lare in O ld Buda. His nephew John, nam ed „Kropi­dło" held sever episcopal posts in Poland; and a niece, Anna, w as a Choir-nun at Trzebnica w here in 1428 she w as elected abbess.®0

The last years of the D uke's life throw s a characteristic ligh t on him. Lost in his hopes and am bitions, deserted by everyone and poor, he spent his last days m anaging his small estates, and to avoid bankrup tcy sold w hat w as left of his possessions and th ink ing of his salvation, p resen ted grants to the Church or m onasteries.21 It should be noted th a t John Długosz a ra ther harsh opinion of the du­ke 's favorite nephew John, the D uke of Opole, Bishop of Poznań, W łocław ek, nom inee of th e A rchbishop of Gniezno, has been m iti­gated by recent scholarship. John led a consistent ba ttle w ith the Teutonic Knights to re ta in in w hole th e W łocław ek d iocese and its

18d ZD no. 13 p. 24 V. 22—35; th e pho tography of the seal; Z. R o z a n o w , E. S m u l i k o w s k a , Skarby kultury na Jasnej Górze (The cu ltu ra l heritage of Ja sn a G óra), W arszaw a 1974, ,p. 128.

18 K. P i e r a d z к a, Fundacja klasztoru jasnogórskiego w Częstochowiew 3382 r. (The F oundation of the Jasn a G óra clo ister in C zęstochow a in 1382), K raków 1939, p. 16— 18.

20 W ’. D w o r z a c z e k , Genealogia. Tablice (G enealogy. Tables), W arszaw a 1959, tab le 9.

21 Z. B o r a s , Książęta p ias tow scy Śląska (The P iast Dukes of SiLesia), K ato­w ice 1975, p. 267.

600th ANNIVERSARY OF JASNA GÓRA 181

m aterialistic state. He supported higher education for th e clergy; he finished the erection of the cathedral in 1411; during his life he gene­rously supported th e Dominicans. Two m onths before his death, he gave the tow n 600 m arks to rebuild Opole from w ooden structures to brick structures. M oreover, he left 500 m arks for the erection of a vast new hospital w ith tw o Chapels, and a separate dow ry fund for the very poor and orphaned tow nsw om en of Opole.22

The O rder of St. Paul w orked very closely w ith the Duke in establishing Jasna Góra. A docum ent23 (dated January 19, 1385) gi­ves an account of the O rder’s persisten t requests to c rea te better facilities for th e m onastery verifies th is relationship. And w hen the defeated Duke lost his pow er and lands, they quickly appeared before the royal chancellery of Ladislas J a g i e ł ł o in Kraków, w here th ey received higher gran ts214 for the m onastery . This was the so-called "second foundation" of Jasna Góra. After the King's death, Brother Andrew, the prior of Jasna Góra, appeared before Bishop Zbigniew in Kraków on M ay 11, 1436, and asked „hum bly and forcefully"25 for the confirm ation of the priv ileges granted by the deceased m onarch.

W hat w ere the m otives for the foundation? The answ er to this question can be found in the Foundation 's docum ents of Duke La­dislas. T hey were: the salvation of soul, the souls of his ancestors, and the desire to venera te the M ost H oly V irgin M ary.

The salvation m otive is very c learly defined in th e docum ent dated Jan u ary 19, 1385, hence it should not be trea ted as m erely a stereotype. It is difficult to state, w hether there w as any connect­ion betw een th e erection of th e M onastery and the D uke's contrition after the lifting of a church excom m unication in 1381.

In th e estates of the Płock bishopric, Duke Ladislas illegally collected taxes from the villagers, and his officials abused the law. Because of this, Bishop Dobiesław excom m unicated the duke. W hen during the Easter season, a priest refused to give him the H oly Sa­cram ents, the Duke hum bled himself before John the A rchbishop of Gniezno, w ho then lifted th e Church penalty (before M ay 13, 1381). In the presence of Dobiesław Bishop of Płock, Zbilut Bishop of W ło­cławek, and m any noblem en, the Duke prom ised to rem ove the h eavy taxes put on the v illagers and com pensate for their losses.28

22 A. L i e d t k e , Jan zw an y „Kropidło" (Jan nam ed „K ropidło"), p rin ted in: Polski słownik biograficzny, vol. 10, op. cit., p. 436—438.

23 ZD no. 18, p. 36, v. 35—36.41; p. 37, v. 38.40—41.24 ZD no. 33, p. 64—67.25 ZD no. 109, p. 205, v. 50.26 Jana z Czarnkowa Kronika Polska: 1333— 1382 (Jan of C zarnkôw 's Polish

C hronicle: 1333— 1382), p repared by J. S z l a c h t o w s k i , p rin ted in: Monu­menta Poloniae Historica, publisher A. B i e l o w s k i , vol. 2, Lwów 1872, p. 691—■692.

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The m otive or desire to venera te Our Lady. The title, could have been suggested by the parish church in Stara Częstochowa, or it could have been chosen by the Pauline Order, who have cultivated the cult of th e Blessed Virgin Mary, it could have been chosen by the Duke himself. In all probability the title w as th e resu lt of m utual understanding betw een the founder and the Order. But the fact rem ains, th a t in both foundation docum ents of A ugust 9, 1382 the m onastery bears the title (of the Blessed V irgin Mary), the m onaste­ry of St. M ary,27 as it was erected in her honor.82

It is w orth m entioning here, th a t th e Duke in th e Foundation 's docum ent of the Pauline O rder M onastery in Silesia specified clearly th a t th ey w ere under obligation to say one M ass each day to the V irgin M ary for the salvation of his soul and those of his ancestors.29

The m otive of Our Lady w as particulaxy em phasized by the Duke's gift: the p icture of the M other of God.

The Foundation docum ents do not m ention the p icture. C harac­teristically in content, the docum ent of O ctober 30, 1388 seem s to point to a M arian cult w hich had a lready existed then on Jasna Góra. A cleric, John, the son of M athew M andrys, together w ith his step- -m other Gertruda, resold to Jakub, the prior of Jasna Góra and the entire M onastery of St. Paul the farm lands and fields spreading onto the area of the iron sm elting w orks near the tow n of Często­chowa. T hey specified that th is sale is not being done for profit alone, but to save the soul of their father M athew M andrys and his legal children, and to honor the glorious Virgin M ary.30 Let us also take note here, th a t the same tw o m otives — th e salvation and the M arian cult exist here as they do in the Foundation docum ents of the M onastery.

The earliest inform ation concerning the p icture of O ur Lady of Częstochow a can be found in Translatio tabule, th a it is, the first „m ythical'' description of the Foundation of Jasna Góra. In 1428, an unknow n author compiled a description of the picture of O ur Lady of Częstochow a being transferred from Jerusalem to Jasna Góra.31 A ccording to him it is painted on the tab le top used by th e Virgin M ary; the painting itself had been the w ork of St. Luke the Evange­list. The duke for spiritual reasons vow ed that öfter establishing and furnishing a m agnificent m onastery, w ould bring the picture to Jasna Góra. He found the picture in the Bełz castle in Red Russia, and the author claims that five of th e duke 's noblem en w itnessed the event.

ZD no . 13, p. 26, V. 22.30; no. 14, p. 30, v. 15.28 ZD no. 14, p. 30, v. 6.23 D ocum ent from Jan u ary 20, 1388: ZD no. 28, p. 57, v. 5—6.30 ZD no. 29, p. 59, y. 4—6..31 See no te 8.

600th ANNIVERSARY OF JASNA GÖRA 183

The author of Tlanslacio does not m ention th e destruction of the picture w hich took p lace in 1430. He praises Ladislas Jagiełło as the second founder of Jasna Góra, w hich he describes as a place of pilgrim ages and indulgences. H ence w e m ay assum e th a t he w rote his story around 1428, and the p lace of this story in the code w ould also acknow ledge th is fact.

The author of Translacio adopted a common legend of those tim es and linked it w ith Jasna Góra. The sto ry 's m otives could have been taken from a m anuscrip t about the m iracles of the M other of God, copied before 1417 by Brother Jakub of Żagań.32 The m a­nuscrip t m entions th e existence of a m iraculous picture of the M other of God in Constantinople, w hich unveiled itself every F riday evening. There is also m ention of the m iraculous picture of St. Luke the Evangelist. The picture was said to have been painted by Luke at the request of th e Apostles. A t a certain moment, St. Luke fell into a daze and th e p icture of Our Lady m iraculously came in to existence. A fter the Ascension, the picture was taken to the M ona­stery of the Blessed Virgin in the Temple. The Lateran clergy urged Pope S e r g i u s to have the p ictu re rem oved to the Lateran. He ho­wever, w as cautioned by H eaven not to do so. The p icture m oved itself to a convent of nuns and the pope in obedience to a divine m andate gave them a rich grant.

In describing the life of K rakow 's Bishop John of Radliczyce, D ł u g o s z steadfastly claims that Ladislas Opolczyk by chance discovered the p icture in Russia and donated it to the M onastery in Jasna Góra.33

Follow ing the Translacio tabule, th e legendary h istory of the p icture is reported w ith small changes by a prin ted prayer sheet in German dating from the first decade of the 16th century .34 A deta il­ed description is offered ten years later by R i s i n i u s who also gives the date of the icon's placem ent in Jasna Góra: A ugust 31, 1384,3S and m oreover stresses — to quote the transla tion of Father M ikołaj W i l k o w i e c k o — „this h istory w as told by the Duke him self and so recorded”.36

® Secuntur miracula beate Virginis. Per manus fra iris Jacobi de Sagano, AJ lib ra ry m anuscrip ts m arked II-17 col. 104— 104—vo.

38 J. D ł u g o s z , Catalogus episcoporum Cracoviensium, in: Opera omnia, published by Al. P r z e ź d z i e c k i , vol. 1, K raków 1887, p. 419.

34 X P i r o ż y ń g k i , N ajstarszy zachowany, drukowany przekaz legendy o obrazie Matki Boskiej Częstochowskiej (The oldest existing p rin ted version of the legend of th e p ic tu re of O ur Lady of C zęstochow a), B iuletyn Biblioteki Jag ie ­llońsk iej 23(1973) no. 1/2, p. 151— 165.

. ** P. R d s i n i u s , op. cit., p. 19.86 H i s t o r y a, op. cit., p. 14.87 ZD no. 87, p. 160— 161; no. 95, p. 174— 175; no 96, p. 175— 17k; see OP p. 204.

184 KAZIMIERZ SZAPRANIEC OŚPE

From Ju ly 1425, Jasna Góra is m entioned as a p lace to which pilgrim s w ent seeking and under certain conditions receiving indul­gences.37 The rapid developm ent of the M arian Shrine by the second decade of the fifteenth century is confirmed by the robbery of April 16, 1430 perpetra ted by the im poverished nobles Jam es Nadobny, John K uropatw a and Fedko Korybutowicz, Duke of Russia.38

The p icture w as stripped of the jew els donated by pilgrims, but later put together in Cracow by pain ters w ho did not use the "G reek" technique of pa in ting but Russian.39 The bottom of the painting w as trea ted as a relic, because the general belief w as tha t it had been a part of the tab le used by the V irgin M ary. Under the p resent canvas are holes m ade by previous nails, used to a ttach the precious jew els to the holy icon. The tw o slashes on the face of the M adonna w ere painted to v isualize forever the profanation suffered by the p icture. The figure of the M other of God and the Infant Jesus recall th e old H odegetiia icon destroyed in 1430.

Cicero claims th a t gestures are an expression of the body. The infant Jesus holds in h is left hand the Gospel; his right hand is lifted pointing upw ards; the small fingers and thum b are bent, the index and m iddle fingers point upw ards. That is the gesture of a speaker; a gesture w ell know n as classical ancient art, w hich w as applied by Christian iconography40 in ancient tim es and commonly used in the icons. The infant Jesus is th e Son of the Father, His W ord. In the Epistle to th e H ebrew s is w ritten; ,,God, w ho once spoke m any tim es to our fathers in. various w ays through the prophets, in these tim es speaks to us through His Son".41

The M iddle A ges in their own w ay surrounded the p icture of Częstochow a and Jasna Góra w ith a legend, th a t w as taken up by fu ture generations and altered. The 20th century, through its h i­storians and art sholars is creating a to ta lly different and in te rest­ing edition of tha t legend.

For example, Ewa S n i e ż y ń s k a - S t o l o t claim s th a t " the Infant is blessing characters not show n”. From a descrip tion of the V isitation carried out by Jerzy Cardinal Radziwiłł, the Bishop of Cracow, in 1593 she assum es tha t the M adonna w as k ep t in a closed trip tych, the side panels of w hich w ere adorned by the paintings of St. Barbara and St. C atherine. She believes that the word tabula

88 J. D ł u g o s z , Historiae Polonicae, vol. 4, in: Opera omnia, published by Al. P r z e ź d z i e c k i , vol. 13, K raków 1877, p. 399—400.

89 P. R i s i n i u s , op. cit., 2.25; see R. K o z ł o w s k i , Historia obrazu jasno­górskiego w św ie t le badań technologicznych i artystyczno-lormalnych, (The h i­sto ry of the Jasn a G óra p ic tu re in the light of technological, and artistic and for­m al research), Roczniki H um anistyczne. H istoria sztuki, 20(1972) no. 5, p. 5—46.

40 E. J о s i, Gesti, in: Encyclopedia Cattolica, vol. 6, F irenze 1951, col. 220—

’ « H b r . 1,1—2.221

600th ANNIVERSARY OF JASNA GÓRA 185

m eans the altar, and tha t the m onastery in Częstochow a w as m erely an afiliate of St. Law rence's m onastery near Old Buda.42

In fact the gesture of th e Infant Jesus is th a t of a speaker. In the description of Bishop Radziwiłł'® visit to Jasna Góra there is m ention of an a ltar p iece in w hich th ree p ictu res w ere kept: the Blessed Virgin, St. Barbara, and St. C atherine. The p icture of Our Lady of Częstochow a w as kep t behind th e central panel showing th e Blessed Virgin. The existing pictures of the tw o sa in ts dating from the end of the 16th cen tury are 54.5 by 90 cm in size. Their cha­racteristic sty le recalls the cordovans donated by Cardinal Bolognetti in 1585. A com parison of the v isitation description provided by Ra­dziwiłł and another report -made by Reszka in 1585 allow us to assu­m e that th e m entioned altar p iece was m ade betw een 1585 and 1593. Hence, Nadobny, Kuropatw a, and K orybutowicz in 1430 did not have to toil in breaking any trip tych. In the Latin vernacular used in Czę­stochowa, tabula m eans th e -bottom of the picture, and imago m eans the picture.

The Częstochow a m onastery from then on becam e the residence of the Polish provincial. The particu lar cloisters of the Polish Pro­v ince and Jasna Góra w ere ruled by the prior general, w hose re ­sidence w as in the M onastery of St. Law rence in Buda, Hungary. A t no period in history, how ever, w as Jasna Gór-а a branch of any H ungarian M onastery.

K rystyna P i e r a d z к a43 th inks it m ore likely th a t King Louis of Hungary, com paring his donations t-о M aria-Zell and Aachen sent the picture to Częstochowa, thus giving his royal blessing to th e new m onastery of th e O rder of St. Paul. A rather farfetched theory , w hich in all sources concerning Jasna Góra has no backing. Franciszek K o t u l a 44 explains ,,A short descrip tion of the h istory of the ancient picture... to 1820" as ,,the title -page of the oldest publication containing the h isto ry of the m iraculous picture of Jasna Góra". The first publication concerning the p ictu re in Częstochow a appeared a t the beginning of the 16th century.

A characterization of the founder himself is extrem ely difficult, from a psychological point of view . Our notions concerning country, nationality , and Poland do n o t even slightly coincide w ith his be­liefs. Both his policies and his relationship linked him w ith King Louis. In politics he w as elegant, able and patient. H e w as no w orse than m any other dukes of his times, but defin itely m ore religious, diligent and a be tter ruler.

42 E. S n i e ż y ń s k a - S t o l - o t , Geneza, s ty l i historia obrazu Matki Boskiej Częstochowskiej (The creation , s ty le and h is to ry of the p ictu re of O ur Lady of C zęstochow a), in: Folia h is to riae artium , vol. 9, K raków 1973, p. 8, 15, 42.

43 Op. cit., p. 66.44 O starym domu Czarnej Madonny (On the old hom e of th e Black M adon­

na), N asza Przeszłość 33(1970) il. 20.

186 KAZIMIERZ SZAFRANIEC OSPĘ

The chasuble he w as said to have donated — w as a gift of the H ungarian fam ily of D rugeth H om onnay in second decade of the 16th century, and was not his gift. Also, Jasna Góra has no rich do­nation from the Blessed Q ueen Jadw iga, which S t r z e l e c k a and S i a b i ή s к a45 stubbornly claim she made.

2. The D evelopm ent and H istorical Significance of Jasna Góra:Factors and Tasks

In th e six centuries of the life of Jasna Góra, particu larly th ree tra its stand out: the com m unity of the O rder of St. Paul, th e Shrine of th e Blessed Virgin, and the fortress of M ary. Chronologically, the first tra it is th e starting point; the th ird existed only a t certain periods due to existing political conditions; the second tra it outlin­ed the developm ent of Jasna Góra, and still does m aps out the pasto ­ral and social tasks of the cloister.

The O rder of St. Paul the Herm it was established in H ungary in the m iddle of the 13th century. The lifestyle in itia lly w as cha­racterized by an isolated existence behind cloistered w alls. The daily schedule was defined by the M ass and breviary. In the first half of the 16th century, the onslaught of the Turkish arm y divided the H ungarian state, and as a resu lt dozens of th e O rder's m onaste­ries w ere destroyed. In the 1640's, th e H ungarian province num bered 12 cloisters and no m ore than 60 friars, w hile the Polish province in th e sam e period had 13 cloisters and some 200 m em bers.46 The real trend-setting in the life of th e O rder w as taken over by the Polish province, or to be m ore precise — Jasna Góra w hich th en be­came the O rder's m ain m onastery and m other house. In fact it then had as m any friars as the entire H ungarian province.

A lready in the 15th century, th e Polish m em bers of th e O rder took on parochial responsibilities. In the n ex t century, cooperation in the struggle against th e Reform ation brought them into· the forefront of soul-saving tasks, and m ade it necessary for them to have su itab le in tellectual preparation . As the resu lt of orders received after v isitations from the H oly See in the years 1577, 1585, 1593, 1609, and 1635, as w ell as th e efforts of Polish provincials and

45 A. S t r z e l e c k a , Jadw iga A ndegaw eńska , A n jou , kró low a Polski (Jad­w iga A njou, Q ueen of Poland), in: Polski słow nik b iograiiczny, vol. 10, op. cit., p. 296: J. S t a b i ń s k a , K rólow a Jadw iga (Q ueen Jadw iga), ed ition II, K raków 1975, p. 125. See Z. R o z a n o w , E. S m u l i k o w s k a , Skarby ku ltu ry na Jasnej Górze (C ultural treasu res at Jasna Góra), W arszaw a 1974, p. 94.

46 A cta ordinis generalia, vol. 1,. p. 135, B udapest, Egyetem i K onyvtar, sign AB. 154.

600th ANNIVERSARY OF JASNA GÓRA 187

a few in tellectual friars, the O rder began creating its own schools of learning, w hich provided courses in philosophy and Ca­tholic theology. These legal and organizational endeavors w ere crow ned w hen pope C l e m e n t X granted by his bull Ex iniuncto nobis (April 3, 1671) the Pauline Prior G eneral the right to confer un iversity degrees. In Jasna Góra, courses in rhetorics, philosophy and m oral theology w ere available, w hile lectures in dogm atic theo­logy w ere provided m ainly by the M onastery in. Cracow.

N otew orthy evidences of th e sp irited life of th e O rder of St. Paul during the 17th and the 18th exist very day a t Jasna Góra, m ost of the arch itecture of the M onastery, rich archives, large music archives, the lib rary w ith a fine old-print division, the building of the former pharm acy, th e former prin ting house, w orks tu rned out by the painters', the carpenter's, the goldsm ith 's and the em broidery w orkshops of the m onastery .47

The partitions of Poland, and especially the dissolutions of re li­gious houses after the Jan u ary Uprising (1863) to ta lly dispersed the Jasna Góra community, w hich was successfully reorganized only after the country regained its independence in 1918. In the in terw ar period, and after W orld W ar II the O rder of St. Paul the Herm it in Poland opened religious foundations both a t hom e and abroad and increased its to ta l m em bership. The Paulines as m any other orders, faced the difficulty of adapting their lifestyle, once enclosed in so­litude, to the m odern needs of the pilgrim m inistry at Jasna Góra.

The grow th of th e Shrine of Our Lady a t Jasna Góra should be seen in the vein of charisma, particu larly the charism a of giving. It all began w ith th e founder Duke w ho financed the m onastery and donated the holy icon of th e M other of God, His exam ple w as followed by others — in m ost cases anonym ous donors,48 w ho w ere also led by the same tw o m otives: the salvation of their souls and their devotion for th e Blessed V irgin M ary. The foundations concern­ed both th e p lace and w ays of cult: a ltar pieces, chapels, organs, en trance gate, the art of M arian hym nody (the Office of the Imma-

47 See K. S z a f r a n i e c, Przeor Kordecki, w trzechsetlecie zgonu: 1673— 1973 (Prior K ordecki on th e 300th an n iversary of his death : 1673— 1973), A teneum K apłańsk ie 80(1973) p. 284—302; H. C z e r w i e ń , Szkoła paulińska (The O rder of St. Paul's school), in: D zieje teologii katolickiej w Polsce, vol. 2, p art II, Lublin 1975, s. 509—548; J. H. Z b u d n i e . w e k , Katalog domów i rezydencji polskiej prowincji paulinów (Catalog of houses and residences of the Polish p rovince of the O rder of St. Paul), N asza Przeszłość 31(1969) p. 181—228; S. S z a f r a n i e c, Konwent paulinów jasnogórskich 1382— 1864 (Convent of the O rder of St. Paul at Jasn a G óra 1382— 1864), Roma 1966.

48 See S. S z a f r a n i e с, Jasna Góra. Studium z. dzie jów kultu Matki Boskiej Częstochowskiej (Jasna Góra. Study into th e h is to ry of th e cult of O ur Lady of C zęstochow a), in: Sacrum Poloniae Millennium, vol. 4, Roma 1957, p. 9—67; Z. R o z a n o w , E, S m u l i k o w s k a , Skarby kultury na Jasnej Górze (C ultural treasu res at Jasna Góra), W arszaw a 1974.

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culate Conception, the Litany of Loretto), the celebration of M ass and vo tive lights.

Even before 1430, Jasna Góra was the place of pilgrim ages.49 Groups of pilgrim s from afar visited Jasna Góra to beg the M other of God for grace and m iracles at H er shrine. The friars increased this already great devotion to M ary by in troducing reverence ser­vices, during w hich — from the m iddle of the 16th century — a vocal and instrum ental choir performed, serm ons w ere preached, w ith the assurance tha t there existed possibilities of receiving indulgences w hich only the "holy site” could give. This great devotion and im agination have alw ays been concentrated especially on th e adorn­ing of the p icture of O ur Lady and the altar, on w hich th e p icture is kept. The presence of special royal sym bols as notew orthy: the royal crown, sceptre, the orb, the royal dress, the throne, throne room, royal bugle call, and the tribu tary scroll. A lready in the beginning of the 16th century, in the first e tching of the picture th e re is a crown on the head of the M other of God. Tow ard the end of that cen tury w ere some exaggerations w hich brought w ords of reproach from G eorge C ardinal Radziwiłł in 1593, w ho ordered restra in t and good taste .50 The previous v isitation official, Rev. Reszka in 1585 had a canopy hung over the altar, and the rich jew els m ade as offerings, which form erly had hung on the picture w ere rem oved to separate boards. O nly the m ost precious gifts w ere left on the p icture itself, namely, the gems donated by th e Q ueen of Poland, as w ell as th e gold rings and chains.51 W ith the years, the jew els increased, and in the la tte r half of the 17th century, the m onastery 's chief em broiderer friar Clem ent Tom aszewski used them to m ake four dresses. These w ere next rem ade and changed; a t p resent there are five such dresses. The p ictu re w as crow ned in 1717 and 1910. The sceptre and orb are gifts of Polish wom en in 1926. O ne of the m ost in teresting and popular procedures in the Jasna Góra church is the unveiling of the picture, perform ed to th e accom panim ent of an instrum ental group, w hich during the unveiling alw ays plays the old royal sa­lute. The silver tribu ta ry scroll, p laced under th e picture, contains the docum ent of placing the N ation under the m otherly, love of M ary in 1966, and Pope P a u l V Fs brief confirming this fact.

The crow ds of pilgrim s tha t v isited Jasna Góra from various parts of the country in the first half of the 15th century did not decrease over the centuries. Their social and spiritual profile has

49 ZD no. 95, p. 174— 175.50 Tom us prim us m iraculorum В. V. m onasterii C estochoviensis, A J m ark

2096, col. 49.51 W izy ta c je ko n w en tu Jasnej G óry: 1577— 1743 (V isitations of th e .Jasna

G óra convent: 1577— 1743), A J m ark 2407, p. 16.

600th ANNIVERSARY OF JASNA GÖRA 189

altered, but the pilgrim ages have never stopped, no t even during th e Nazi occupation of Poland during W orld W ar II. The bolydays of th e M other of God bring groups and crowds of pilgrims, who have alw ays com e to the "holy site in Częstochow a" to save their souls and bow before the M other of God.

In 1429, King Ladislas J a g i e ł ! о52 w rote to Pope M a r t i n V that in Jasna Góra due to the grace of God there are m any m yster­ious m iracles, tha t m any come there in the hope of receiving in­dulgences and salvation. D ł u g o s z , in connection w ith the infor­m ation tha t the sanctuary had been robbed in 1430, stated that pilgrim s, draw n by the fam e of exceptional cures, hurried to the holy site from th e w hole territo ry of Poland, as w ell as from Silesia, M oravia, Prussia, and Hungary, to tak e part in the celebration ser­vices honoring M ary 's holydays. The presence of num erous pilgrim s from H ungary is confirm ed both by R i s i n i u s and the O rder's C onfraternity book (started in 1517)53, in which H ungarian signatures can be found. It is characteristic th a t som etim es the title of St. Paul's confratern ity is changed to the confraternity of the Blessed V irgin a t Jasna Góra. O ne hundred years later the Jasna Góra Shrine beca­m e too small for the increasing num ber of pilgrims. A ccording to their own estim ates the m onastery needed 70 friars, including at least 30 confessors, and as evidence it is said th a t in 1629 some 200.000 pilgrim s received comm union there, and all of them w ished to go to confession first. A uthor N i e s z p o r k o w i c w rote: „Annually, th e citizens of sm aller and bigger tow ns w ere accustom ed to visiting th is p lace w ith their own row s and those of w hole communities, ne­ver, how ever, w ere the crowds so large as in the year of O ur Lord 1630 after th e dangerous plague th a t hit the w hole country. It hap­pened tha t on one day som etim es 15, som etim es 20 or 30 thousand people came to fulfill the prom ises m ade during the plague, and here th ey grouped to go to confession and holy com m union.54 The title of „Q ueen of Poland" used by preachers in describing the Blessed V irgin w as very soon linked w ith the picture of O ur Lady of Często­chow a as its iconographical presentation, and th is w as strengthened by Father A ugustyn K o r d e c k i ' s N ow a gigantomachia, in which the author published the tex t of the Lwów pledges m ade by King John Casimir. These vow s w ere preceeded by the proclam ation declaring th e Blessed Virgin as Q ueen of Poland.55 The coronation

52 ZD no. 95, p. 174—.175.58 Sequitur regestrum coniraternita tis ordinis fratrum herem itarum s. Pauli

prim i herem itae, 1517, A J, m ark. 798,54 Op. cit., p. 60.55 S. S z a f r a n i e c, Trzechsetiecie M aryjnej e lekc ji (300 years of M ary 's

election),. A teneum K apłańsk ie 49(1957) p. 16—27..

190 KAZIMIERZ SZÄFRANIEC OSPE

of the picture a t Jasna Góra on Septem ber 8, 1717 was considered as the coronation of the M other of God as the hered itary Q ueen of Poland. The celebration is said to have attracted some 200.000 pilgrims.

The loss of independence slowed dow n the pilgrim age trend, w hich w as very great tow ard the end of the 19 th century. Again during the in terw ar period, Jasna Góra becam e the site of the Epis­copate 's conference, a centre of congresses and conferences, and in 1936 even the seat of the P lenary Synod. Am ong the num ber of pledges m ade at th a t time, a prom inent p lace m ust be given' to the Episcopate's A ct of Ju ly 27, 1920,56 in w hich the bishops of Poland headed by Edmund Cardinal D a 1 b о r chose the Blessed Virgin "once again as our Q ueen and Lady” .

In recen t years m ass celebrations honoring Our Lady at Jasna Góra w ere opened by th e consecration to the Im m aculate H eart of M ary on Septem ber 8, 1946, w hich in tw in prepared th e w ay for the "Jasna Góra V ow s” on A ugust 26, 1956. The G reat N ovena started the following year and the prayers for the Second V atican Council w ere continuously held a t Jasna Góra and the Shrine becam e the national spiritual center w hich in a lasting w ay influenced the Polish Church. The "six years of gratitude" preceding the A nniversary of Jasna Góra in 1982 have the sam e character.

The changes of economic conditions have not basically altered the character of pilgrim ages to Jasna Góra. W hile there are fewer pilgrim groups w ho journey on foot, there are m ore small pilgrim ­ages organized w ithin families, and the tim e for such pilgrim ages has been spread out, and covers practically all days free from work. The annual W arsaw pilgrim age on foot to Jasna Góra has grown in size and has taken on the shape of re trea ts held during the trip to Jasna Góra. During the past dozen or so years, foreign tourism has grown at Jasna Góra: there are pilgrim groups from Hungary, Cze­choslovakia, the German Dem ocratic Republic, Italy, and especially from the U nited S tates of America.

S tatistics (which have an impact all their own) show that in 1971 at Jasna Góra comm union w as given to 947,810 people, and in 1976— 1,085, 070.

The fortress built in the th irties of the 17 th century, com pleted during the seige in N ovem ber and December of 1655, expanded in the first half of the 18 th century, has served as a defensive structure for the holy site. It had its righ t of existence in the political conditions and the frontier character of its location. The fortifications

56 O rig inal tex t of p ledge w ith th e au tographs of the bishops: U roczystości i nabożeństw a, A J m ark 2103, p. 151— 152.

600th ANNIVERSARY OF JASNA GÖRA 191

w ere destroyed in 1813 and the defense w alls w ere rebuilt in the m iddle of the 19th century. Between 1900 and 1913, the fields around the fortress w ere converted into a park and 14 Stations of the Cross w ere erec ted as a p lace of p rayer and m editation for th e pilgrims.

From the in terw ar period to th e present, Jasna Góra becam e a re ­trea t house for the bishops of Poland and ofttimes the site for their conferences. The Church is th e scene of the renew al of vow s and prayers for groups, societies and organizations; it is the center of pastoral m inistry guided by th e Polish episcopate.